Change navobj.xml location

[lillu]

In my new navigation computer setup, I have 3 partitions:
2 system partitions (1 begin Windows 10 and the second one being Ubuntu).
1 Data partition, readable by both OS.

I want to be able to use openCPN with both OS. My charts and tides data are placed in the DATA partition. However, I would like to keep my tracks, waypoints, etc. when I switch from one OS to the other.
Is there a way to tell OpenCPN to move the navobj.xml file ?

I know that there is already a thread about sharing navobj.xml over a network but this is far more basic.

Thanks

[Hakan]

lillu...
No there's no way to change location of where to read navobj.xml file(s). At least not without to hack the OCPN code for your own use.
Another way would be to run OCPN by a small script in each OP. In Win use a batch file, sh-script in Linux, to start OCPN and when it returns after closing copy the navobj.xml file to the common partition, where I suppose your charts are located.
Also in that batch file you've to copy the navobj.xml file saved on the common partition to respective OCPN data folder before OCPN is starting. But copy ONLY if the file date-time is later than the one to overwrite.

And please make a backup of the files before you start to play.

[stevead]

I would have thought soft/symbolic links could be used ?

If the data partition is accessible to both the Ubuntu & Windows operating systems when either is running, just create a soft/symbolic link.

Copy the populated navobj.xml file to the data partition and then when either operating system is running create a link referencing the navobj.xml file.

From Ubuntu, assuming the data partition is named data and its mount point is /mnt/data and you have created a opencpn directory in it.

ln -s /mnt/data/opencpn/navobj.xml ~/.opencpn/navobj.xml

and conversely from Windows, assuming the data partition is assigned drive letter z:

mklink c:\ProgramData\opencpn\navobj.xml z:\opencpn\navobj.xml

Untested, but just a suggestion....

[did-g]

Originally Posted by stevead

I would have thought soft/symbolic links could be used ?

]Untested, but just a suggestion....

Unlikely to work, for backup purpose O is doing rename and re-create this file.

Maybe running 0 in portable mode from the same directory?

IIRC window and linux don't use the same name for the configuration file so it could work even if pathnames stored aren't the same.

[lillu]

Originally Posted by Hakan

lillu...
No there's no way to change location of where to read navobj.xml file(s). At least not without to hack the OCPN code for your own use.
Another way would be to run OCPN by a small script in each OP. In Win use a batch file, sh-script in Linux, to start OCPN and when it returns after closing copy the navobj.xml file to the common partition, where I suppose your charts are located.
Also in that batch file you've to copy the navobj.xml file saved on the common partition to respective OCPN data folder before OCPN is starting. But copy ONLY if the file date-time is later than the one to overwrite.

And please make a backup of the files before you start to play.

It was my fallback plan....so, I'll go with this solution. No worries about the backups and polishing the scripts, I was an IT consultant before sailing (and will have, unfortunately, to get back to it in a few years ;-)).
I was actually considering sorting the script in Python, so I would have to do it only once.

[Hakan]

illu..
Python is nowadays of course the most convenient solution. My old fashion notes to be left out.


And running dual boot where Win10 is one part you've probably detected the W10 nasty behavior to not release the common partition until you close it while key "shift" is pressed?